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Archived - Inspection, weighing and certification of export vessels

How it works

Inspection

  • Canadian Grain Commission inspectors provide inspection services onsite at 36 licenced terminals in Canada. Operations vary greatly across the country depending on terminal activities, ranging from seasonal to continuous 24/7 operations.
  • Automatic sampling systems approved by the Canadian Grain Commission deliver official samples to the inspection office. Canadian Grain Commission grain inspectors monitor the export grain flow for potential contaminants, live insects or quality issues.
  • Canadian Grain Commission grain inspectors perform an official incremental analysis every 2000 tonnes and provide the results in real time to the terminal operator. The terminal operator may rely on that inspection information to adjust vessel loading to meet contract specifications, including the blending of quality factors. Vessels are generally in the 35,000 to 60,000 tonne range.
  • Canadian Grain Commission grain inspectors provide analysis in relation to the contract specifications agreed to between the buyer and the seller. This can be based on a statutory grade, a non-statutory list of specifications or a combination of the 2.
  • The Canadian Grain Commission prepares an official composite sample that is retained as a representation of the cargo.

Weighing

  • Since 2012, the Canadian Grain Commission has adopted an oversight model for official weighing and its weighing staff are no longer based in terminal elevators. Terminal operators are required to weigh grain in accordance with a Vessel Loading Standard for Official Weighing published by the Canadian Grain Commission.
  • Terminal operators weigh grain using scales that are approved by the Canadian Grain Commission under the authority of Measurement Canada, which is an agency of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
  • When vessel loading is complete, the terminal operator provides a package of information, which substantiates the weight of the cargo to the Canadian Grain Commission. The Canadian Grain Commission thoroughly reviews the package and conducts any necessary followup in order to validate the official weight.
  • The Canadian Grain Commission also audits terminal weighing operations and has access to digital recording devices that record terminal weighing activity.

Certificate Final

  • Once the official grade has been determined or specifications are met and the official weight has been validated, the Canadian Grain Commission issues an official inspection certificate, referred to as the Certificate Final, to the exporter.

Analytical testing

  • The Canadian Grain Commission maintains analytical laboratory capacity in several ports across Canada. When requested by the exporter, Canadian Grain Commission technicians perform analytical tests on a portion of the official cargo sample. Analytical testing is available for many factors, including:
    • Falling Number
    • chlorophyll content
    • wet gluten
  • For certain tests of higher complexity, the analysis must be conducted at the Canadian Grain Commission’s Grain Research Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • The results of Canadian Grain Commission analytical tests are reported on letters of analysis issued to the exporter.

Monitoring and statements of assurance

  • A portion of each official composite vessel sample is used by the Canadian Grain Commission for export monitoring on a variety of grain quality and grain safety attributes.
  • This science-based monitoring produces large multi-year datasets and enables the Canadian Grain Commission to generate statements of assurance, respecting the aggregate quality and safety of Canadian grain exports, which are made available to exporters. These records also allow for the Canadian Grain Commission to support market access.

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